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  1. Professionals

Steve D’Amore

Partner

Chairman, Winston & Strawn

Chicago

+1 312-558-5934

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  • Overview
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Steve is an accomplished trial lawyer who advises clients on business disputes in state and federal courts across the nation and in U.S. and international arbitration forums. He has a successful practice in the areas of commercial, product liability, tax, and other business litigation.

Steve represents clients operating in a wide range of industries, focusing on the life sciences, financial services, professional services, and agribusiness industries. In addition to counseling clients on litigation risk, he has successfully represented clients in complex litigation and jury trials throughout the country for over 30 years. 

In June 2024, Steve became Chairman of Winston & Strawn. Steve leads the firm as part of a diverse leadership team, all of whom will continue to actively practice law. Steve’s vision is to drive an international law firm rooted in legal excellence and uncompromising client service, representing clients across the U.S. and with an increasing emphasis beyond U.S. borders. The firm operates under core principles of promoting excellence everywhere and supporting pro bono and community service; expanding access to opportunity at Winston; and corporate social responsibility.

Key Matters

Steve’s recent representative experience includes the following:

Product Liability
  • Representing a multinational medical device and health care company in state and federal proceedings involving numerous product liability lawsuits, defending preterm infant nutrition products that save countless lives. A federal MDL proceeding has been consolidated in the Northern District of Illinois and state court actions have been filed in Illinois, Missouri, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, California, and Florida.
  • Defeated a bellwether case claiming that food ingredient manufacturers were liable for plaintiff’s overconsumption of sweetened foods and resulting health that Forbes described as “the most notorious illustration of how a baseless lawsuit can effectively demonize one disfavored food ingredient.”
  • Prevailed on behalf of medical device manufacturer in wrongful death jury trial against claims of negligence, product liability, and punitive damages, after plaintiff abandoned product defect and punitive damages claims at trial and liability for the remaining negligence claim was substantially minimized.
Commercial
  • After four years of litigation, secured a jury verdict of more than US$93M in favor of a life sciences company in a contract dispute over a pricing agreement, a verdict that at the time was the largest commercial verdict awarded in the venue.
  • Obtained a US$84.5M verdict in favor of a life sciences company and against certain London-based insurers who provided product recall insurance to our client. The trial was conducted in multiple phases, and we prevailed on behalf of our client in both the liability phase, which sought rescission of the policies, and the damages phase, where we recovered the maximum amount of insurance available at trial. The verdict was fully upheld on appeal.
  • Obtained a jury trial victory for a global ingredients and ethanol producer in an action for fraudulent inducement, misrepresentation, and breach of contract against an equipment provider that claimed to have developed a proprietary technology for use in the production of ethanol. After a three-week trial, the New York jury rejected the equipment manufacturer’s US$180M damages claim and instead awarded our client rescission of the agreement and the return of its payments.
  • Secured a jury trial verdict of US$88M (including US$33M of interest) on behalf of two technology companies in a dispute over the right to advertise in a leading computer publication, a verdict that was—at the time—the largest commercial jury verdict awarded in the Circuit Court of Cook County.
  • Secured favorable mid-trial resolution for the Corn Refiners Association and the U.S. manufacturers of high-fructose corn syrup of a high-profile false-advertising matter filed by several manufacturers or refiners of sugar and their trade associations, alleging that the defendants’ efforts to describe high-fructose corn syrup as “corn sugar,” natural, and nutritionally and metabolically equivalent to cane and beet sugar, was false and misleading under the federal Lanham Act and California state law. 
Other
  • Secured victory for global insurance broker in bellwether case for the industry, in which the court dismissed a lawsuit trying to hold the broker responsible for massive business losses stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic. As reported by Law360, the decision set an important precedent defining the duty of insurance brokers generally and specifically with respect to pandemic-related business losses.
  • Currently representing a multinational food processing and commodities trading company in a suite of class action lawsuits in Illinois federal court alleging that the company’s trading in ethanol and ethanol futures violated the Commodity Exchange Act and Sherman Act, in addition to several state-law claims.
Recent Experience
Arthur J. Gallagher Acquisition of Clements Worldwide
Arthur J. Gallagher (NYSE: AJG) carveout acquisition of M&T Insurance Agency from M&T Bank Corporation (NYSE: MTB).
Secured Landmark Victory for BPI Against ABC News in Massive Defamation Case

  • Latin Lawyer 250—Recognized for his work in Arbitration (2024) 
  • Benchmark Litigation US—Recognized as an “Illinois Litigation Star” for Antitrust, Class Action, and General Commercial Litigation (2018–2025)
  • The Legal 500 US—Recognized for General Commercial Disputes, International Litigation, and Product Liability, Mass Tort & Class Action (2016–2024)
  • The Best Lawyers in America®—Recognized for his high caliber of work in Commercial Litigation (2018–2025)
  • Lawdragon 500
    • Recognized in The 100 Managing Partners You Need to Know (2025)
    • Recognized in The Legends (2024)
    • Recognized in Leading Lawyers in America (2016–2018, 2020–2025) 
    • Recognized in Leading Litigators in America for Complex Business Litigation (2023–2025)
  • Crain’s Chicago Business
    • Recognized on “Who’s Who List” which encompasses the city’s most influential individuals in key Chicago industries (2025)
    • Selected for inclusion in the “Notable Litigators & Trial Attorneys” list (2025)
    • Listed on “Notable Gen X Leaders in Law” (2019)
  • BTI—“Client Service All-Stars” for Complex Commercial Litigation
  • Chicago Daily Law Bulletin and Chicago Lawyer Magazine—“40 Illinois Attorneys Under 40 to Watch” 

As Winston’s chairman, Steve is responsible for leading the firm’s global strategy and operations. Over his 30 years at the firm, he has served in numerous other leadership roles, including as an Executive Committee member and Co-Chair of the Litigation Department.

Steve is a longtime supporter of cancer research, theater, and the arts. He serves on the Board of Trustees of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the governing board of Gilda’s Club of Chicago, and he has been a member of the Goodman Theatre’s Business Council since 2015. In 2022, Steve and his wife, Kim D’Amore, made the charter donation that created the First Generation in Law Scholars Program (FGLP) at DePaul College of Law, a program aimed at increasing diversity in the legal profession. FGLP is designed for diverse, first-generation students and is described by DePaul as a “holistic experience that will introduce [scholars] to law school, the legal profession, and the practice of law.” Steve described the mission of the program in his commencement address at DePaul Law’s 2024 graduation ceremony, where he urged the graduates to become the “Martians” of the law world. Steve was elected to join the Board of Trustees of DePaul University beginning July 1, 2025.

Capabilities

Litigation/Trials
Commercial Litigation & Disputes
Product Liability & Mass Torts
Insurance Litigation
Health Care
Medical Devices
Financial Services
Technology, Media & Telecommunications
Energy

Key Matters

Steve’s recent representative experience includes the following:

Product Liability
  • Representing a multinational medical device and health care company in state and federal proceedings involving numerous product liability lawsuits, defending preterm infant nutrition products that save countless lives. A federal MDL proceeding has been consolidated in the Northern District of Illinois and state court actions have been filed in Illinois, Missouri, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, California, and Florida.
  • Defeated a bellwether case claiming that food ingredient manufacturers were liable for plaintiff’s overconsumption of sweetened foods and resulting health that Forbes described as “the most notorious illustration of how a baseless lawsuit can effectively demonize one disfavored food ingredient.”
  • Prevailed on behalf of medical device manufacturer in wrongful death jury trial against claims of negligence, product liability, and punitive damages, after plaintiff abandoned product defect and punitive damages claims at trial and liability for the remaining negligence claim was substantially minimized.
Commercial
  • After four years of litigation, secured a jury verdict of more than US$93M in favor of a life sciences company in a contract dispute over a pricing agreement, a verdict that at the time was the largest commercial verdict awarded in the venue.
  • Obtained a US$84.5M verdict in favor of a life sciences company and against certain London-based insurers who provided product recall insurance to our client. The trial was conducted in multiple phases, and we prevailed on behalf of our client in both the liability phase, which sought rescission of the policies, and the damages phase, where we recovered the maximum amount of insurance available at trial. The verdict was fully upheld on appeal.
  • Obtained a jury trial victory for a global ingredients and ethanol producer in an action for fraudulent inducement, misrepresentation, and breach of contract against an equipment provider that claimed to have developed a proprietary technology for use in the production of ethanol. After a three-week trial, the New York jury rejected the equipment manufacturer’s US$180M damages claim and instead awarded our client rescission of the agreement and the return of its payments.
  • Secured a jury trial verdict of US$88M (including US$33M of interest) on behalf of two technology companies in a dispute over the right to advertise in a leading computer publication, a verdict that was—at the time—the largest commercial jury verdict awarded in the Circuit Court of Cook County.
  • Secured favorable mid-trial resolution for the Corn Refiners Association and the U.S. manufacturers of high-fructose corn syrup of a high-profile false-advertising matter filed by several manufacturers or refiners of sugar and their trade associations, alleging that the defendants’ efforts to describe high-fructose corn syrup as “corn sugar,” natural, and nutritionally and metabolically equivalent to cane and beet sugar, was false and misleading under the federal Lanham Act and California state law. 
Other
  • Secured victory for global insurance broker in bellwether case for the industry, in which the court dismissed a lawsuit trying to hold the broker responsible for massive business losses stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic. As reported by Law360, the decision set an important precedent defining the duty of insurance brokers generally and specifically with respect to pandemic-related business losses.
  • Currently representing a multinational food processing and commodities trading company in a suite of class action lawsuits in Illinois federal court alleging that the company’s trading in ethanol and ethanol futures violated the Commodity Exchange Act and Sherman Act, in addition to several state-law claims.
Recent Experience
Arthur J. Gallagher Acquisition of Clements Worldwide
Arthur J. Gallagher (NYSE: AJG) carveout acquisition of M&T Insurance Agency from M&T Bank Corporation (NYSE: MTB).
Secured Landmark Victory for BPI Against ABC News in Massive Defamation Case

Credentials

Education

Steve received a B.A., summa cum laude, from Loyola University Chicago in 1991, where he was elected to the National Jesuit Honor Society, Alpha Sigma Nu. He received a J.D., with honors, in 1994 from DePaul University School of Law and was a member of the DePaul Law Review and the Order of the Coif.

    Admissions
    • Illinois

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    Capabilities

    Litigation/Trials
    Commercial Litigation & Disputes
    Product Liability & Mass Torts
    Insurance Litigation
    Health Care
    Medical Devices
    Financial Services
    Technology, Media & Telecommunications
    Energy
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